If you're in the market for a new or used vehicle, now might be the perfect time to consider hybrid cars! Hybrids are no longer a novelty - they're now a stable, well-established alternative to traditional vehicles, and one which can help reduce the world's dependence on petroleum. In the process, they can save you money at the gas pump, too!
There really is no better time to buy a hybrid. If you aren't familiar with hybrid cars, here's a quick overview.
The short answer to "what are hybrid vehicles" is that they contain two separate engines. One is a traditional gasoline engine, while the other is electric and runs off a battery. The basic idea is that the car only burns gasoline when it absolutely has to - such as when starting up - while relying on the electric engine as much as possible.
Hybrids are so energy-efficient because they recharge their battery while on the road, through a process called regenerative braking. Every time you hit the brakes, the vehicle’s forward motion is used to generate electricity, which is then stored in the battery. The battery also picks up charge whenever the gas engine is engaged, as in a standard car.
In short, hybrids are a best-of-both-worlds combination of gas and electric vehicles. You'll be using far less gasoline, and you won’t have to worry about running out of battery.
There are three major types of hybrids, each with their own features and benefits.
Parallel hybrids are the most common type, and function as described above. They have two engines, swapping off the workload depending on the situation. They are highly reliable, running seamlessly off both sources of power to deliver a pleasant driving experience.
Series hybrids rely entirely on the electric motor for drivetrain power, while the gas engine is used exclusively to recharge the battery and is not connected to the wheels. Essentially, the gas motor acts as an onboard generator for the vehicle’s electric power system. These hybrids are the least common variation.
Plug-in hybrids are basically electric cars with a backup gas engine. They have a much larger high voltage battery and plug in to charge, the same as electric cars. The gas engine is only used if the primary battery depletes, at which point the vehicle functions like a traditional parallel hybrid.
Buy Hybrid Cars From 1000 Islands Toyota
Toyota was the pioneer in hybrid vehicle technology, and still leads the pack in safety and reliability. Contact our team at 1000 Islands Toyota to test drive a hybrid Camry, Corolla, Prius, or Rav4 for yourself!
